EDITORIAL : THE CHINA DAILY, CHINA

 

 

Fifty years of friendship

The foundations were laid exactly half a century ago, on July 11, 1961, when former Chinese premier Zhou Enlai and Kim Il Sung the then leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) signed the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, which created a solid foundation for friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries. 

Since then, the treaty has weathered the changes in political climate, both on the international and domestic fronts, and helped maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Today, goodwill delegations headed by Chinese and DPRK senior officials are visiting Pyongyang and Beijing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the treaty. 

It is important to note that over the last 50 years, leaders from both countries have taken pains to develop and maintain relations, faithfully adhering to the spirit and basic principles of the treaty. 

In recent years, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have both paid formal visits to Pyongyang and since May last year, DPRK leader Kim Jong-il has visited China three times. 

In line with the guiding principles of the treaty, Beijing leaders have addressed Sino-DPRK relations from a strategic, long-term perspective, carrying forward the approach of good neighborliness and strengthening cooperation, further consolidating and developing the tradition of Sino-DPRK friendship. 

It is China's unswerving policy to work with the DPRK to maintain and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity. 

Noting China's economic, social, technological and cultural progress during his latest visit, Kim commended the country's reform and opening-up policy and its path of scientific development. 

Kim said the DPRK is now concentrating its attention and resources on economic development, and it is in great need of a stable neighboring environment. 

He affirmed that, in regard to easing tension on the Korean Peninsula, the DPRK has set the objectives of denuclearization, an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks and improving inter-Korean relations. 

China and the DPRK broke new ground last month by agreeing to jointly develop an economic zone on a border island. Investment from China is expected to stimulate economic growth on both sides. 

As long as both countries propagate the spirit of friendship and cooperation, the cornerstone of the treaty, China and the DPRK will be sure to further consolidate this mutually beneficial relationship in the years to come. 

Unjustifiable accusation

Japan has forgotten how it got to be what it is today. 

Japan in the Meiji period (1868-1912) experienced the most remarkable social transformation in modern history, from a feudal society to the beginnings of the Japan we know today. 

In less than half a century, the Japanese adopted from Western nations a phenomenally wide range of new institutions, manufacturing methods and communication technologies in a successful effort to convert their country into a modern nation. 

Much of the strength of Japan's economy can be attributed to Japanese companies' skills at imitating - and improving - all sorts of products. 

Japan was a driver for the Asian economy and technology before its economy fell into recession in 2008. 

It is easy to understand the bitterness it must be feeling now that it is lagging behind other countries, especially its neighbors, in fields where it used to be a leader. 

The accusation by Tadaharu Ohashi, chairman of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, last week, is a case in point. He accused China of intellectual property rights violations when the country submitted applications for international patents for its high-speed rail technology. 

When China decided to build a high-speed rail link between Beijing and Shanghai in 2006, there was a fierce bidding war among Japanese, German and French companies. 

But the Chinese government believed in the nation's own technology. The Chinese technology, as the Ministry of Railways has said, is re-innovation on the basis of assimilating the advanced technologies of foreign countries. 

In his book Copycats, Oded Shenkar, a management professor at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, argues that in business imitation can be at least as important as innovation. 

Jared Diamond, the academic and author of such books as Guns, Germs and Steel, has pointed out that human development would not have been possible without imitation. 

But it is not enough to just copy. Taking it further is the key. What sets the successes apart is the ability to add innovation to the imitation. 

Known for its advanced technology, Japan is a nation China has a lot to learn from. In 1978, when China kicked off its reform and opening up, foreign high-speed trains were reaching speeds of 300 kilometers per hour, while the average speed of passenger trains in China was only 43 km/h. 

China has caught up quickly. It's now an advanced technology competitor. 

Technological progress rarely comes from a "eureka moment", instead it is a process of improving on what went before, as even a cursory glance at the history of railways shows.

EDITORIAL : THE DAILY YOMIURI, JAPAN

       

 

Rebuild strong, trustworthy prosecutorial system

The Yomiuri Shimbun

A new prosecutorial system should be established and operated effectively to stamp out irregularities and conduct proper investigations.

The Supreme Public Prosecutors Office has compiled and released a report on organizational reforms, in the wake of an evidence-tampering case involving the lead prosecutor of the special investigative squad of the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office.

The reform plan calls for the establishment of a supervision and guidance department to specialize in probes of internal misconduct. Also to be created is an external expert committee to provide day-to-day counsel on prosecutorial management.

In the Osaka prosecutors case, a colleague of the lead prosecutor reported the alteration of data to their superior, but the then head of the special squad allegedly covered up the wrongdoing.

We can understand the purpose of establishing the supervision and guidance department, which will accept internal reports of misconduct--it is to prevent the recurrence of irregularities like those that occurred at the Osaka prosecutors office.

The department will investigate cases involving such alleged actions as grilling suspects for long hours without letting them rest, and coercing or leading them to make certain statements, after receiving information about such irregularities from lawyers.

===

An exclusionist society

The prosecutorial system was a closed society and rarely exposed to external criticism. Undeniably, this led it to become complacent and a hotbed for misconduct.

An external panel will be established within the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office, comprising former judges, lawyers and academics. The top prosecutors office is urged to comply with requests for public disclosure as much as possible and listen earnestly to the panel's advice.

Similar panels exist at district courts across the country. It is necessary for the prosecutorial system to have opportunities to listen to as many opinions as possible.

With respect to the special investigation squads (tokusobu), the abolition of which was once discussed by an advisory panel to the justice minister, the top prosecutors office decided to maintain the bodies at the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya district public prosecutors offices without changing their name. But the independent investigation system that allows special investigation squads to probe corruption involving politicians and bureaucrats will be downscaled.

This is due to concerns that impatience and pressure on special investigators to produce results in major corruption cases may make them go too far in investigations.

===

Keep a sharp eye out

But downsizing should not lower the morale of the special investigation squads, which have battled wrongdoing in the political and bureaucratic worlds. We urge them to continue to keep an eagle eye on collusion between politicians, bureaucrats and big businesses.

The number of special squad prosecutors tackling economic crimes such as tax evasion and insider trading will be increased. Given the sophistication of financial crimes, the times demand expansion of investigative capabilities to deal with such crimes.

Prosecutors offices must quickly enhance their investigative capabilities by bolstering cooperation with other organizations, including the National Tax Agency and the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission.

E-mail scandal could amplify distrust of N-power

The Yomiuri Shimbun

If they thought they could use the deception to increase support for restarting nuclear reactors, the idea was extremely ill-advised.

This is in reference to the e-mail scandal involving Kyushu Electric Power Co., in which the utility sought to manipulate public opinion to favor reactivation of its Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture.

Prior to a public hearing for prefectural residents about the Genkai plant that was aired live via a local cable TV station in late June, Kyushu Electric instructed some of its employees, as well as staff of the company's subsidiaries, to send e-mails to the TV program in support of restarting the plant's reactors.

To raise support among prefectural residents for the reactors' reactivation, the utility also called on the employees to send the e-mails from their home computers to hide their identities as employees of Kyushu Electric or its subsidiaries and to pose as members of the general public.

===

Not a request but an order

There can be no doubt that the sending of the e-mails under the guise of ordinary residents of the prefecture was perpetrated systematically.

The document sent to the recipients asking them to send the messages was in the form of a "request." But judging from the power relationship between Kyushu Electric's management, its employees and its subsidiaries, the recipients must have felt the document was more like an order.

It was subsequently revealed that one of the vice presidents and other executives of Kyushu Electric were involved in the scheme to manipulate public opinion. Suspicion is very high that the e-mail scheme might have been carried out by Kyushu Electric as a whole. The hearing's purpose of listening fairly to opinions of the prefectural residents was made meaningless.

Kyushu Electric President Toshio Manabe apologized Friday to Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda over the e-mail scandal, but it will be extremely difficult for the company to restore public trust.

Kyushu Electric must waste no time in finding out the whole truth about the matter. Thorough investigations are needed to determine whether the company engaged in similar deceptive activities in the past. Managerial responsibility should also be clarified, including the advisability of the company's president stepping down.

Making the problem worse is the fact that the company at first tried to cover it up.

===

'Is it such a big problem?'

The deputy head of Kyushu Electric's nuclear power generation department, when he attended a session of the Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly on Monday as a witness, categorically denied irregularities involving e-mails sent to the TV program, saying the company had "never asked anybody for anything" in connection with the hearing.

On Wednesday, when the issue was taken up in Diet deliberations, President Manabe belatedly held a press conference. Asked about his involvement in the scandal, Manabe repeatedly said, "No comment," before finally saying, "Is it such a big problem?" His attitude is extremely insincere considering he is in a position to explain the matter in detail.

Amid the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, criticism of electric power utilities as a whole has been intensifying. The e-mail scandal could amplify the public's distrust of the nation's nuclear reactors.

On the other hand, anxieties have been growing that electricity shortages will worsen in the future. Reactivation of reactors after completion of their regular safety inspections is impossible without consent from local residents. Electric power utilities, therefore, must redouble efforts to restore public trust by enhancing transparency of their operations.

There have been many scandals involving nuclear reactors because of failure to disclose information, such as cover-ups of accidents and falsification of safety-check data.

Are electric power companies still unable to rid themselves of the tendency to cover up facts disadvantageous to them? They should do more soul-searching about the matter.

EDITORIAL : THE DAILY MIRROR, SRILANKA

Country first   The post war Sri Lanka is poised for change and offered an opportunity it only dreamt of for three long decades. Where it now turns and how it will share the responsibility is a discussion left to a Sri Lankan forum that has the interests of the country first. Engagement of all people be they Sinhala, Tamil or Muslim in this discussion is crucial to how peace will prevail in the future. A Tamil Diaspora that does not desire a return to the country at any point of time, can not be offered the decision making power over the Sri Lankan Tamil people. It would be both a catastrophic political blunder as well as a betrayal of the people who would ultimately have to suffer the consequences and the outcomes. It is imperative that Tamil political groups like the Tamil National Alliance be mindful of the fact that a final solution must overcome compulsions for its own survival. It is equally important that the Tamil people be educated of the real reasons behind the political games played by the Tamil Diasporas. Be it the Channel 4 fiasco or the various human rights concerns raised; the fact remains that the Tamil Diaspora needs such mechanisms to justify its continued presence in the West. The hundreds of thousands who have made the West their home on grounds of political asylum, can not afford to let the fires of ‘ethnic’ discriminations die down. They can not allow for questions on why they need to remain in these countries now that the war is over, be the focus.  Ironically, neither can they allow for a political solution; if that is the desire of the Tamil people of the North or the East be implemented. Admitting to the existence of a conducive atmosphere for the peaceful co-existence of all people in the country is also allowing the focus to be shifted towards them. This sadly is the reality behind the concern of a large majority of the Tamil Diaspora today pointing the finger at Sri Lanka. Needless to say, the situation leaves much to be done to take the war ravaged Northern and Eastern parts of the country to their desired conditions. One; that the government has genuinely committed itself to, if the development activities or the resettlement process are to stand witness. In a scenario where those who cry foul from the West have failed to assist in the development drive in these areas, the legitimacy of the ‘concerns’ must be questioned. It is therefore essential that the Tamil polity take on the responsibility of securing a future for its people by committing themselves genuinely to the process underway. Equally important is that they refrain from sacrificing such a future for their people by playing petty politics for obvious personal gain. The innocents of both sides of the divide have paid enough for private political games played by such opportunist for thirty long years. It is time country and not self took precedence.

EDITORIAL : THE HINDU, INDIA

A clean chit for now

The Reserve Bank of India's latest Financial Stability Report attempts to assess the health of India's financial sector in a holistic manner and pinpoint the incipient risks to stability that may arise in a systemic sense. Like its counterparts in the advanced economies, the RBI seeks to draw the right lessons from the interplay of the macroeconomic setting, policies, markets and institutions, for which it claims to rely on up-to-date techniques and methodology. The report declares that India's financial system remains “stable in the face of some fragilities being observed in the global macro-financial environment.” Growth has been slackening in most parts of the world and the risks arising from global imbalances and the European debt crisis show no signs of abating. The truth is that the causes for some of these persistent problems have never been fully addressed. India's growth momentum has moderated slightly on account of both domestic and global factors, but its economic fundamentals continue to remain strong despite concerns over inflation and the fiscal situation. The widening current account deficit also is not a matter of serious concern for now, although a slowdown in capital inflows could occur as the advanced economies exit from their accommodative policies. However, government expenditure needs to be more tightly managed as part of a well thought-out process of fiscal consolidation.

The domestic financial markets remain stress-free and are expected to be so in the near future. There has been a strong demand for credit and, consequently, liquidity has tightened recently. One subject of concern has been the currency mismatches that have arisen in the wake of domestic companies relying more extensively than before on external commercial borrowings. A related problem is that many domestic corporate issuers of foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs) might face refunding risks by March 2013, when it would be time for redemption. The conversion prices on many of these bonds are much higher than the current prices of the linked equity shares, and it is unlikely that the gap will narrow. The Indian banking system remains well capitalised, with both core capital adequacy and leverage ratios ruling at comfortable levels. Even as credit off-take has rebounded recently, asset quality has improved although certain specific sectors of the economy could pose problems. For now, a rise in net interest income has boosted the profitability of banks, but over the near-term rising costs may weigh in. Banks need to be vigilant in facing up to interest rate risks in the prevailing inflation scenario.

Old fears in Thai election

The July 3 parliamentary election in Thailand is the culmination of a bitter five-year-political battle that haunted the country, leading to constant unrest and uncertainty. In December 2007, a year after the Thai Army removed the billionaire Prime Minister Thakshin Shinawatra in a coup and banned his political party, its proxy, the People Power Party, managed to win the parliamentary elections impressively. However, within a year, it found itself outmanoeuvred, and the opposition Democrat Party led by Abhisit Vejjajiva put together a coalition and took office. Since then, there has been a rash of protests resulting in bouts of political paralysis. Last year, security forces put down anti-government protesters with bullets, leaving some 90 people dead. Clearly, in the coming election, Mr. Thaksin, who lives in self-exile abroad after fleeing Thailand to escape prosecution on corruption charges, is eager to avenge his 2006 removal. His party, now called the Pheu Thai, has fielded his sister Yingluck Shinawatra as the prime ministerial candidate. Evidently, the former Prime Minister hopes to run the country through her. There are fears that the election itself will not remove the tensions between the colour-coded political camps — Red Shirts, comprising mainly the rural and urban poor, for the Shinawatra clan; and Yellow Shirts, made up of the prosperous old ruling elites, for Mr. Abhisit and his Democrat Party — until Thailand addresses the deeper malaise of the military's role in politics.

The Royal Thai Army — which has carried out a total of 18 coups, and like the Pakistan Army, has played a backroom role supported by the monarchy during times of civilian rule — is a powerful player in this election. Army chief Prayuth Chan-Ocha declared recently that as a neutral entity, it had no intention of meddling in the election. But his warning that the monarchy was under threat and his demand that voters must elect “good people” have left no one in doubt that the Army has already made its choice. General Prayuth led the 2006 coup, and his televised speech came as polls predicted Mr. Thaksin's PTP in the lead. With the Army having helped put together the 2008 Democrat Party-led coalition, there is concern that if the Pheu Thai Party wins this election it will not be allowed to remain in office for long. On the other hand, it is certain too that the political roiling will continue should voters choose the Democrats — Mr. Thaksin has enough money and street power to ensure that the government will never have it easy. Either way, it appears that political peace in Thailand is still a distant prospect.

EDITORIAL : THE DAILY STAR, BANGLADESH

           

 

Making deals public

Shouldn't Khaleda be making this call from inside the House?

While talking to the visiting Indian foreign minister when he called on her recently, the Leader of the Opposition had said that all deals between the two countries should be mutually beneficial, and that people must be informed about the details of all the deals before agreements between the two countries are signed, through the parliament.

While one cannot take issue with the sentiments of the leader of the opposition, certainly all deals must be for the benefit of the countries concerned, and that the public must be made privy to the details of the deals, we find it rather surprising that she should find it appropriate to express her sentiments regarding a national issue to a visiting foreign dignitary.

One wonders whether Khaleda Zia shouldn't be in the parliament demanding that accords be placed before the House for deliberation and discussion instead of ventilating her thoughts outside it. Aren't she and her party abdicating a very important obligation reposed on them by the electorate?

It is entirely for the political parties to enter into compacts that benefit us, and at the same time ensure that the people are informed about those. Surely, public support for important vital bilateral accords not only helps their implementation, there is a general feeling of ownership if the public is informed about them.

That is the best way of not only informing the public about an intergovernmental accord, it is through the participation of the people's representatives in discussing its merits or demerits that one can come up with the optimally best deal.

Although it may not be formally required to place all inter-governmental accords (except for a treaty) before the parliament, certain accords, given their importance may be placed before the House for deliberation and public knowledge.

Mobile court and hartal

Uphold rule of law

Concern has been expressed in recent days over the operation of mobile courts to tackle political unrest on the streets. Since the opposition launched its present agitation against the government in June, mobile courts have swung into action by rounding up citizens and delivering penalties. These penalties have largely meant sending them off to prison.

It is quite understandable that mobile courts will take action against such elements as those who indulge in food adulteration, hoarding of essentials or sexual harassment where there is tangible evidence of a crime. The Mobile Courts Act 2009 promises measures that are geared to ensuring citizens' welfare in key areas. But when the remit of the act is extended to include a curbing of political dissent, we are properly worried. In the recent instances of arrests on the eve of an opposition agitation programme or on the day of the agitation itself, the role of the mobile courts have come under a question-mark. Arrestees were not given opportunity of self-defence and only the version of the police was taken cognisance of. Clearly, the mobile courts have appeared to be reversing the idea of innocent until proven guilty into one of guilty until proven innocent. In this instance, the report by the human rights group Odhikar on the arrest of an insurance company official on 5 July at Mohakhali on the false charge that he had been behind the torching of a vehicle in the area only moments earlier is a case in point.

We fully agree with Odhikar as also with other bodies such as Ain-o-Salish Kendra and the Supreme Court Bar Association that indiscriminate arrests of people in the name of maintaining law and order undermine the principles of citizens' rights of assembly and expression of dissent. By refusing to give people a right to legal defence when they are arrested, the mobile courts are themselves giving a short shrift to the law. Rule of law can not appear to be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency because it is the very foundation on which a democratic society is sustained.